Third Party Information

Third Party Information A. When any person files or submits documents to MDHS which the filer contends are exempt from disclosure under the Public Records Act or other applicable statute or caselaw, the filer shall provide, along with the unredacted documents, a redacted copy which may be released immediately upon MDHS receipt of a public records request for said documents. The third party filer must also include with the redacted copy a written statement describing the documents filed and any exemption to disclosure which is claimed, specifically citing any statute or other legal authority in support of such designation. Such written statement shall itself be a public record subject to disclosure. B. Upon request to inspect or copy any records submitted to MDHS by a third party, MDHS may immediately release any redacted copies submitted without notice to the third party filer. If the requestor states he or she would like to inspect unredacted records of third parties, MDHS shall notify in writing (or electronically by email) the contact designated by the third party that their records were requested, and give them twenty-one (21) days from the date of the notice to seek a court order of protection for any information contained in the records which may be proprietary or confidential. Twenty-one (21) days after such written notice, the document will be made available for public inspection or copying unless the third party filer shall have filed a petition seeking, or obtained a court order protecting such records as confidential pursuant to Section 25-61-9, Miss. Code Ann. of 1972. C. Any person filing or submitting documents to MDHS shall, prior to filing, redact from the documents any social security numbers, account numbers or dates of birth not required to be listed. MDHS shall determine on a case-by-case basis whether similar information may be redacted by the filer to prevent identity theft. In no event will MDHS bear any responsibility for a filer’s failure to redact such information which leads to or may lead to identity theft or other crime or loss.